Storage system

ABSTRACT

A storage structure includes a housing. A front wall is movable to and from a closed position closing a forwardly facing opening of the housing. The front wall includes an upper section covering an upper part of the opening in the closed position thereof and a lower section covering a lower part of the opening in the closed position thereof. The lower section can be moved generally rectilinearly relative to the upper section into generally parallel, overlapped relation with the upper section. The upper section is pivotably mounted to the housing so that the front wall can be pivoted upwardly into a storage position generally parallel to and underneath the top wall for storing the upper and lower sections in the generally parallel, overlapped relation underneath the top wall. An actuator is connected to the upper section to apply a force that urges the upper section to pivot upwardly.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application claims priority to the U.S. ProvisionalApplication of Patel, Ser. No. 60/418,240, the entirety of which ishereby incorporated into the present application by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention generally relates to a storage structure,and relates more particularly to a storage structure with a front wallthat moves from a closed position to an open position for proving accessto a storage area in the structure.

[0004] 2. Description of Related Art

[0005] A known storage system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,394,566(the '566 patent). The '566 patent discloses a storage system includinga riser 20 that has a bifold door assembly 40 for closing the front ofthe riser 20. The bifold door assembly 40 includes an upper panel 41having one end hingedly coupled to the top panel of the riser and anopposite end hingedly coupled to a lower panel 45. This arrangementenables the bifold door assembly to move between a folded open positionand an unfolded, vertically disposed, closed position. The riser alsoincludes a pair of gas springs 60 to assist in opening the doorassembly.

[0006] The present invention provides an improved storage structure thatincludes an improved and more compact door assembly.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present application discloses an improved storage structure.The storage structure comprises a housing having a plurality of wallsincluding at least a top wall and two opposing lateral side wallsdefining a storage area having a forwardly facing opening. A front wallis movable to and from a closed position closing the forwardly facingopening of the housing. The front wall includes an upper sectioncovering an upper part of the forwardly facing opening in the closedposition of the front wall, and a lower section covering a lower part ofthe forwardly facing opening in the closed position of the front wall.

[0008] The lower section is movably mounted to the upper section so thatthe lower section can be moved relative to the upper section intogenerally parallel, overlapped relation with the upper section. Theupper section is pivotably mounted to the housing so that the front wallcan be pivoted upwardly to enable of the front wall to be positionedgenerally parallel and underneath the top wall in a storage positionwith the upper and lower section in the generally parallel, overlappedrelation thereof underneath the top wall. An actuator is connected tothe upper section and is constructed to apply a force that urges theupper section to pivot upwardly, thus facilitating the pivoting of theupper section. The actuator may include at least one spring, such as atorsion spring, linear spring, or gas spring. Alternatively, theactuator may be an electromechanical actuator, such as a motor.

[0009] The present application also discloses a method for accessing astorage area in a storage structure. The storage structure comprises ahousing having a plurality of walls including at least a top wall andtwo opposing lateral side walls defining a storage area having aforwardly facing opening. A front wall is movable to and from a closedposition closing the forwardly facing opening of the housing. The frontwall has a lower section that covers a lower part of the forwardlyfacing opening in the closed position of the front wall, and an uppersection that covers an upper part of the forwardly facing opening in theclosed position of the front wall. The method comprises moving the lowersection of the front walls generally rectilinearly relative to the uppersection of the front wall so that the lower section is in generallyparallel, overlapped relation with the upper section. The front wall ismoved into a storage position wherein the upper and lower sections arein the generally parallel overlapped relation and generally parallel toand underneath the top wall. This movement of the front wall into thestorage position includes at least pivoting the front wall to begenerally parallel to the top wall. The pivoting includes applying aforce with an actuator to urge the upper section to pivot upwardly.

[0010] Other objects, features, and advantages of the present inventionwill become apparent from the following detailed description, theaccompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The accompanying drawings facilitate an understanding of thevarious embodiments of this invention. In such drawings:

[0012]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a storage system incorporating astorage structure constructed in accordance with the present invention;

[0013]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a storage system constructed inaccordance with the present invention with the front wall in the closedposition thereof;

[0014]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the storage structure of FIG. 1with a lower section of the front wall moved upwardly into generallyparallel, overlapped relation with respect to an upper section of thefront wall;

[0015]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the storage structure of FIG. 1with the upper section pivoted upwardly so that the upper and lowersections are generally parallel to the top wall; and

[0016]FIG. 5 is a perspective view with an accompanying side profileview of the storage structure of FIG. 1 with the upper and lowersections moved inwardly into a storage position in generally parallel,overlapped relation underneath the top wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0017]FIG. 1 illustrates a storage system, generally indicated at 1,that includes a storage structure, generally indicated at 10. Thestorage system 1 illustrated has a lower housing, generally indicated at2, housing a plurality of drawers, generally indicated at 3. Avertically oriented cabinet 4 is attached on the side thereof and has ahinged door 5 for accessing its interior. The storage structure 10illustrated is in the form of a riser mounted atop the lower housing 2.The storage structure 10, however, may be any type and need not beincluded in a multi-faceted storage system 1 as illustrated. The storagestructure 10 may be incorporated into other types of storage system, itmay be freestanding on its own, or it may be used atop a flat surface,such as a workbench. Thus, the present invention should not beconsidered as being limited to the environment of a storage system 1having a lower housing 2 with a plurality of drawers 3 therein and anupper surface 6 on which the storage structure 10 is supported, althoughthat environment is preferred.

[0018] The storage structure 10, and any system, such as the illustratedstorage system 1, in which it is included, may of the type for storingtools in a mechanics shop, but may be used for any desired purpose. Thestorage structure 10 comprises a housing 12 having a plurality of wallsincluding at least a top wall 14 and two opposing lateral side walls 16,18 defining a storage area 19 having a forwardly facing opening 20 (seeFIG. 3). The housing 12 can have any size or shape, and the invention isnot limited to the configuration depicted.

[0019] As an optional feature, at least one drawer (not shown) may bemounted in the housing 12 for movement between an open position extendedforwardly from the housing through the forwardly facing opening 20 and aclosed position retracted inwardly into the housing 12. Any number ofdrawers may be used and they may be mounted for movement between theiropen and closed positions in any suitable manner. For example,conventional sliding tracks may be used to support the drawers forrectilinear movement between their open and closed positions. The use ofdrawers is optional and the storage area 19 may house cabinets withpivoted doors therein, or may simply be a large open space with orwithout vertical separator and/or horizontal shelves for dividing thearea 19 into individual compartments. As illustrated, the storage area19 is a large open area suitable for loose storage of large tools thatwould not fit in the smaller drawers shown at 3.

[0020] As can be appreciated from the Figures, the storage structure 10has no bottom wall, and the lower edges of the side walls 16, 18 engagethe upper surface 6 of the lower housing 2. For securement, bolts orother fasteners may be used to fasten side walls 16, 18 to upper surface6. However, it is contemplated that the housing 12 of the storagestructure 10 could have a bottom wall extending between the lower edgesof the side walls 16, 18. Either configuration may be used.

[0021] A front wall 22 is movable to and from a closed position closingthe forwardly facing opening 20. The closed position is illustrated inFIG. 2 and prevents access to the storage area 19. The front wall 22includes an upper section 24 covering an upper part of the forwardlyfacing opening 20 in the closed position of the front wall 22, and alower section 26 covering a lower part of the forwardly facing opening20 in the closed position of the front wall 22. The front wall 22 mayhave any size or configuration and the invention is not intended to belimited to the one depicted.

[0022] The lower section 26 is movably mounted to the upper section 24so that the lower section 26 can be moved relative to the upper section24 into generally parallel, overlapped relation with the upper section24. This is shown in FIG. 3. The lower section 26 may be mounted to theupper section 24 in any suitable manner to enable it to be moved into agenerally parallel, overlapped relation relative to the upper section24. For example, the lower section 26 could have a set of rollers oneach side thereof and the upper section 24 could have a pair of trackson the internal side edges thereof. The rollers would be mounted in thetracks to enable the lower section 26 to be slid in a generallyrectilinear manner into the generally parallel, overlapped relation withrespect to the upper section 24. Likewise, inter-engaged sliding trackscould be used. Regardless, any suitable mechanism for enabling thismovement may be used and the present application is not intended to belimited to any particular arrangement.

[0023] The upper section 24 is movably mounted to the housing 12 so thatit can be moved through two distinct motions. The upper section 24 canbe pivoted upwardly to a pivoted position wherein the upper section 24and the lower section 26 are generally parallel to the top wall 14. Thisis reflected by the change in positions understood by comparing FIGS. 3and 4. Also, the upper section 24 with the lower section 26 in thegenerally parallel, overlapped relation therewith can be moved inwardlytogether into the housing 12 into a storage position underneath the topwall 14 in generally parallel, overlapped relation therewith. Thisstorage position is shown in FIG. 5. The upper section 24 may be mountedto the housing 12 in any suitable manner to achieve this movement. Forexample, a pair of tracks could be mounted to the insides of the sidewalls 16, 18, and a pair of brackets could be slidably or rollinglymounted to the tracks for generally rectilinear movement along thetracks. The upper section 24 would be pivotally mounted to thesebrackets. The pivotal mounting will allow the upper section 24 to bepivoted upwardly to the aforementioned pivoted position, and then theupper and lower sections 24, 26 could be moved inwardly to the storageposition with the brackets riding inwardly along the tracks. However,any suitable mechanism may be used and the present invention is notintended to be limited to any specific arrangement. The construction forthis mounting depicted in FIG. 4 will be discussed in detail below.

[0024] To access the storage area 19, the user moves the lower section26 of the front wall 22 relative to the upper section 24 so that thelower section 26 is in generally parallel, overlapped relation with theupper section 24. The upper section 24 is pivoted to a pivoted positionwherein the upper section 24 and the lower section 26 are generallyparallel to the top wall 14. Then, the upper section 24 with the lowersection 26 in the parallel, overlapped relation therewith are movedinwardly together into the housing 12 into a storage position underneaththe top wall 14 in generally parallel, overlapped relation therewith.Preferably, the user would pivot the upper section 24 after raising thelower section 26 into the generally parallel, overlapped relation, asthat would reduce the effective swing arc of the front wall 20 duringopening. However, it is within the scope of the invention to allow theuser to opt to pivot the upper section 24 upwardly first prior to movingthe lower section 26 into the generally parallel, overlapped relation.

[0025] Referring in particular to FIG. 4, there can be seen therein thestructure for mounting the front wall 22. A pair of gear racks, onebeing shown at 28, are mounted to the upper edges of the side walls 16,18. A rod 30 is connected at its opposite ends to the upper side edgesof upper section 24. A pair of pinions, one being shown at 32, is fixedon the opposing ends of the rod 30. Also, a pair of torsion springs, arebeing shown at 34, are mounted to hubs, one being shown at 36, on theside walls 16, 18. One tang 38 of each spring is fixed to the walls 16,18, or may be engaged with structure on the side walls 16, 18 to preventit from moving and releasing its tension. The opposite tang 40 is freelyand slidably engaged with the inner surface of the upper section 24.

[0026] As the upper section 24 is being pivoted upwardly, the springs 34apply a biasing force through tang 40 to bias the upper section 24upwardly through its pivotal motion. The biasing force applied may beenough to fully pivot the upper section 24 to the position of FIG. 4, ormay be a lesser amount for providing assistance for manual raising ofthe front wall 22. The use of the spring is advantageous in a storagestructure made of heavy gauge metal, particularly where the upper andlower sections 24, 26 are of such heavy gauge metal. This makes raisingthe front wall 22 easier and provides a smoother action, as the biasingforce will tend to lessen as the springs 34 expand through the movementof the front wall 22.

[0027] The pinion gears 32 ride along the racks 28 in intermeshedrelation to enable the front wall 22 to be moved rectilinearlyunderneath the top wall 14. Because the pinion gears 32 are fixed to therod 30, they will rotate together at the same rate to ensure that thesides of the upper section 24 move inwardly at the same rate. Thisprevents any binding that could be caused by pushing one side in aheadof the other.

[0028] As an additional feature, one or more linear coil springs (notshown) could be connected between the upper section 24 and the lowersection 26. These springs would apply a biasing force to bias the lowersection 26 upwardly towards its generally parallel, overlapped relationwith respect to the upper section 24. The biasing force could besufficient to fully move the lower section 26 to that position, or couldbe lesser for purposes of assisting manual movement to that position.

[0029] A latch (not shown) may be provided to releasably lock the frontwall 22 in its closed position. If the springs described above areprovided for fully raising the lower section relative to the uppersection 24 without the need for manual assistance, and also for fullypivoting the front wall 22 upwardly without the need for manualassistance, then release of the latch would provide for an automaticaction of raising the front wall 22 to the position of FIG. 4. The latchmay engage one or both side walls 16, 18, or any other structure.Preferably, the release for the latch would be accommodated on oradjacent to handle 44.

[0030] Additionally, another linear spring, or more than one, could becoupled to the upper section 24 or rod 30 and also to a back wall of thestructure, or the back edge of the top or side walls, to apply a biasingforce for assisting or fully pulling the front wall 22 underneath thetop wall 14. With the ability of fully pulling the wall 22 (i.e.,without the need for manual assistance) into the storage position, therange of motion for the front wall 22 can be fully automated under thescenario described above with respect to the latch.

[0031] As an alternative, springs could be coupled between the backwall, or back edges of the top or side walls, and the lower edge of theupper section 24. These springs would pivot the upper wall 24 inwardlyinto storage area 19 to bring the front wall 22 to its storage position.Linear coil springs or gas cushioned springs could be used for thispurpose, as well as any other suitable spring.

[0032] The foregoing description has been provided solely for thepurposes of explaining the structural and functional principles of thepresent invention, and is not intended to be limiting. To the contrary,the present invention is intended to encompass all modifications,alterations, substitutions, and equivalents within the spirit and scopeof the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A storage structure comprising: a housing havinga plurality of walls including at least a top wall and two opposinglateral side walls defining a storage area with a forwardly facingopening; a front wall movable to and from a closed position closing theforwardly facing opening of the housing; the front wall including anupper section covering an upper part of the forwardly facing opening inthe closed position of the front wall and a lower section covering alower part of the forwardly facing opening in the closed position of thefront wall; the lower section being mounted to the upper section so thatthe lower section can be moved generally rectilinearly relative to theupper section into generally parallel, overlapped relation with theupper section; the upper section being pivotably mounted to the housingso that the front wall can be pivoted upwardly to enable the front wallto be positioned in a storage position generally parallel to andunderneath the top wall for storing the upper and lower sections of thefront wall in the generally parallel, overlapped relation thereofunderneath the top wall; and an actuator connected to the upper sectionof the front wall, the actuator being constructed to apply a force thaturges the upper section to pivot upwardly, thus facilitating thepivoting of the upper section.
 2. A storage structure according to claim1, wherein the actuator comprises at least one spring.
 3. A storagestructure according to claim 2, wherein the at least one spring is atorsion spring.
 4. A storage structure according to claim 1, wherein theupper section includes a rod connected to upper side edges thereof, therod including a pair of gears fixed on opposing ends thereof, andwherein the gears are engaged in intermeshed relation with a pair ofgear racks mounted to upper edges of the side walls of the housing forenabling the upper and lower sections to be moved inwardly to thestorage position with the gears riding along the gear racks.
 5. A methodfor accessing a storage area in a storage structure, the storagestructure comprising: (a) a housing having a plurality of wallsincluding at least a top wall and two opposing lateral side wallsdefining a storage area having a forwardly facing opening; and (b) afront wall movable to and from a closed position closing the forwardlyfacing opening of the housing, the front wall including a lower sectionthat covers a lower part of the forwardly facing opening in the closedposition of the front wall and an upper section that covers an upperpart of the forwardly facing opening in the closed position of the frontwall; the method comprising: moving the lower section of the front wallgenerally rectilinearly relative to the upper section of the front wallso that the lower section is in generally parallel, overlapped relationwith the upper section; moving the front wall into a storage positionwherein the upper and lower sections are in the generally parallel,overlapped relation and generally parallel to and underneath the topwall, the moving the front wall into the storage position including atleast pivoting the upper section to be generally parallel to the topwall, the pivoting including applying a force with an actuator to urgethe front wall to pivot upwardly.
 6. A method according to claim 5,wherein the actuator comprises at least one spring and the springapplies the force.
 7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the atleast one spring is a torsion spring.
 8. A method according to claim 5,wherein the moving the lower section in generally parallel, overlappedrelation with the upper section occurs before the moving the front wallinto the storage position.
 9. A storage system comprising: a lowerhousing having a plurality of drawers therein, the lower housingproviding an upper support surface; and a storage structure supported onthe upper support surface of the lower housing, the storage structurecomprising: a housing having a plurality of walls including at least atop wall and two opposing lateral side walls defining a storage areawith a forwardly facing opening; a front wall movable to and from aclosed position closing the forwardly facing opening of the housing; thefront wall including an upper section covering an upper part of theforwardly facing opening in the closed position of the front wall and alower section covering a lower part of the forwardly facing opening inthe closed position of the front wall; the lower section being mountedto the upper section so that the lower section can be moved generallyrectilinearly relative to the upper section into generally parallel,overlapped relation with the upper section; the upper section beingpivotably mounted to the housing so that the front wall can be pivotedupwardly to enable the front wall to be positioned in a storage positiongenerally parallel to and underneath the top wall for storing the upperand lower sections of the front wall in the generally parallel,overlapped relation thereof underneath the top wall; and an actuatorconnected to the upper section of the front wall, the actuator beingconstructed to apply a force that urges the upper section to pivotupwardly, thus facilitating the pivoting of the upper section.
 10. Astorage system according to claim 9, further comprising a verticallyoriented cabinet having a hinged door for accessing an interior thereof,the cabinet attached to a side of the lower housing.
 11. A storagesystem according to claim 9, wherein the actuator comprises at least onespring.
 12. A storage system according to claim 11, wherein the at leastone spring is a torsion spring.
 13. A storage system according to claim9, wherein the upper section is pivoted upwardly after the lower sectionis moved into the generally parallel, overlapped relation with the uppersection.
 14. A storage system according to claim 9, wherein the uppersection includes a rod connected to upper side edges thereof, the rodincluding a pair of gears fixed on opposing ends thereof, and whereinthe gears are engaged in intermeshed relation with a pair of gear racksmounted to upper edges of the side walls of the housing for enabling theupper and lower sections to be moved inwardly to the storage positionwith the gears riding along the gear racks.